Collapsible blackboard



Dec. 14, 1948.

- INVENTOR.

W422 flmaizdg,

'w. AMSTUTZ COLLAPSIIBLE BLACKBOARD Filed Oct 1.7, 1946 X41 Cy {I 14 Patented Dec. 14, 1948 COLLAPSIBLE BLACKBOARD -Walter Amstutz, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Butler Brothers, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application Qctober 17, 1946, Serial No. 703,802

3 Claims.

1 This invention relates to a blackboard which has collapsible legs and is particularly adapted to be made with a metal frame and metal legs for durability.

One object of the invention is to provide a black board consisting of a frame for surrounding and reinforcing a blackboard element, the side'elements of the frame being so designed that extensible legs are telescopically mounted therein for the purpose of supporting the board spaced above a floor surface and-leaning against a wall when the legs are extended or storing the board in a minimum of space by sliding the legs up into the side frame members when the board is not in use. i

Another object is to provide for different height adjustments as desired.

Still another object is to provide a novel blackboard frame formed of relatively light sheet metal which has considerable rigidity due to its formation in triple .channel shape, the frame being attached to the blackboard proper by tubular rivets or the like.

A further object is" to provide the leg similarly shaped but of slightly smaller dimensions so that it can telescope in the side frame member for adjustment to different degrees of extension and to a fully retracted position when desired.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible blackboard embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of one end thereof, this veiw being on an enlarged scale with respect to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section-a1 view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing details of construction.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal .gSectiontl view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 showingdetails of construction and the coaction of a latch pin with the extensible leg of the blackboard.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2 showing the leg collapsed and the latch pin for retaining it in the collapsed position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a bumper cap for the upper corner of the blackboard.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of the lower end of the leg showing how it cooperates with a floor surface, and

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 2 showing how the board may be supported by hanging it on a wall.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral ID to indicate a blackboard proper which may be made of suitable Wood or composition painted with slate paint or may be a slate panel as desired. A frame for the blackboard ID is provided consisting of an upper member A, a lower member B and side members C. Each of the members A, B and C is formed of light sheet metal to the shape shown for instance in Figure 4 having a web l2, a pair of flanges 14, a pair of webs I6 and a pair of flanges l8.

This may be considered a triple channel shape in cross section, the main channel being the ele ments l2 and I4 and the secondary channels being the elements l4, l6 and I8. In my specification I will hereinafter refer to these frame elements as triple channel shaped members.

The flanges [4 are perforated as at 20 and the flanges l8 are perforated as at 22. These perforations are spaced along the frame elements A and B and are provided at the upper and lower ends of the frame elements C with one set of holes spaced down from the upper holes as illustrated. Tubular rivets 24 extend through the holes 20 and 22 and through the holes 26 in the blackboard I0 whereby the frame elements are attached to the blackboard for reinforcing it. Due to their triple channel cross section, these frame elements may be made of comparatively thin metal yet have considerable reinforcing value.

At the upper corners of the blackboard frame bumper caps 28 are secured by the rivets 24 at this point. These may be made of plastic, rubber or the like to prevent marring a wall W when the blackboard is leaned against the wall as in Figure 1. The bumper caps 28 serve to hold the frame element A in alignment with the frame elements C as they slightly overlap the ends of the element A. At the lower corners U-shaped straps 29 connect with the first two rivets 24 as shown in Figure 4 and extend around the side frame elements C to hold them in position with relation to the bottom frame member B.

A pair of legs L are provided, each of which is also formed of light sheet metal having the same cross section as the frame elements A, B and C. The webs and flanges of the legs bear the reference numerals l2a to l8a corresponding to the elements [2 to ll! of the frame. The legs are provided with holes 20a and 22a corresponding to the holes 20 and 22 but these are not for rivets but for a latch pin 30.

The legs, it will be noted, are of slightly smaller size than the side frame elements '0 (see Figure 4) so that they can telescope in relation thereto. The latch pin 30 can then be located in any desired combination of openings 20a- 22a for extension as to the position of Figure 1 with the legs supported. on a floor F or they can be moved up to the collapsed position leg up in Figure 2. This position is also shown in Figure 5 with the latch pin 30 in the lowermost holes 26a and 22a of the leg adjacent its lower end.

The lower end of the leg is. provided with a leg cap 32 which may be made of plastic or rubberlike material for resting on the floor F as shown in Figure '7. The cap has a slanted lower end to lit a, similarly slanted end of the leg L shown in this figure.

The blackboard is also adapted for hanging on the wall W and for this purpose I provide keyhole openings. 34 in the rear flanges M of the framemeinb-er A.. These openings are adapted to receive nails or screws 36 extended from the wall W as shown in Figure 8. When the blackboard is hung onthe wall in this manner the legs L of course. may be retainedin their collapsed position indicated leg up in- Figure 2.

The extensible leg feature permits of efiicient support. of the blackboard in position for the writer to stand when writing there-on as illustrated in Figure 1. and reduces the overall size of the. board to a minimum for storing when not in use.

The type of frame and leg coaction disclosed is preierable but may be. varied to some extent without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of struc-- ture or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included-within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A collapsible blackboard comprising a blackboard proper, a frame surrounding said board,

the side elements of said frame being tubular in cross section and having inturned flanges between which said board is mounted, supporting legs telescopically mounted in said tubular side elements, said legs each being formed of two parts between which said flanges are positioned, and means for locking said legs at different positions of extension in relation to said side frame elements.

2. In a collapsible blackboard of the character described, a blackboard proper, a sheet metal frame for said board having a triple channel cross section, supporting legs for said board formed of sheet metal having triple channel cross section and telescoping in the side elements of saidframe, and a latch pin coactible between said frame and said legs, each of said legs having a series of spaced openings to receive said latch pin in extended and retracted positions.

3. In a collapsible blackboard, a blackboard proper, a sheet metal frame for said boardhaving a triple channel cross sectional shape with two of the channels spaced apart and the board be-- tween them, and supporting legs for said board formed of sheet metal also having a triple channel cross sectional shape and telescoping in the side elements of said frame.

WALTER AMS'IUTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 65,795 Connel et al. June 18, 1867 80,410 Heneage July 28, 1868- 99,187 Hersee Jan. 25, 1870 123,457 Cowdery Feb. 6, 187.2

298,257 Vail May 6, 1884 1,437,193 Phillippi Nov. 28, 1922 2,109,723 Gandrud Mar. 1, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,356 Great, Britain July 6', 188-3. 

